Musky 4/8

[Billfish715]

Mike, Don't take my suggestion/request the wrong way. I know the stocking routine very well from a brother and uncle who worked closely with the division and who regularly rode the trucks and stocked trout. It's an all-day job and one that is very time-sensitive. I've seen the chaos when a pump breaks down on one of the big bertha trucks and a load of trout has to be frustratingly dumped into the nearest stockable river or lake so as not to see them belly up in the tank. My point, I guess, was that because of the low water, the trout will seek the deepest holes and runs and that they will be concentrated there. That, in turn, attracts the crowds which are now elbow-to-elbow surrounding the pool making catching more of a no-brainer than a challenge. There are always some left for the next morning or two but they are still not far from where they were put because of the low water volume. I know you've seen the 5 o'clock crowds surrounding the stocking points. Years ago there was an outcry to allow fishermen to start fishing at 5:00 P.M. instead of 5:00 A.M. the next morning. The fish were still where they were put, but there were lots of them that had a chance to move and acclimate, plus many of fishermen had to wait until the next afternoon to fish their favorite spots on the major streams unless they wanted to fit in a few hours in the A.M. before work. I do appreciate the efforts of the division. I come from a generation who were ecstatic about catching dinky 8" trout from the Hackettstown hatchery. A 10" or 12" trout was a real trophy back then. Breeders? Forget about it. Our fishery is put and take and some fishermen are not so concerned about the challenge of catching but are more concerned about going home with a full stringer. I've talked to CO's who told stories of fishermen standing with nets waiting for the trout to be thrown into the lake and trying to catch them on the fly. That's another story. Keep up the good work, but if you have the chance to throw some in beyond the first deep spot, I would personally appreciate it.